How to set up Skype for Business meetings in Outlook

At Cloud Business we use Skype for Business for our online meetings all the time. I thought showing you how to utilize Skype for Business would be useful for any Office 365 newbies out there!

If you've moved from the old program 'Lync', Google or even personal uses of the regular skype then you will be familiar with e-meetings or video chats.

E-meetings are a great way to keep in touch with the people you need to meet without spending any expenses or wasting any time travelling. If you've never had a video or audio meeting then give it a go - here is how to set up your first one.

Skype for Business meetings in Outlook 2013

To schedule a Skype meeting, you need a sign-in address and password from an organization that uses Skype for Business Server.

Step 1: Open outlook and go to your calendar

Step 2: In the Home tab in the ribbon, click on the 'New Skype meeting' box.

Step 3: Set up the meeting as normal

In the To box, type the email address of each person you’re inviting, separated by semicolons.

In the Subject box, type a name for the meeting.

If you’ll have in-person attendees, either click Room Finder, in the Options section of the Meeting tab, and then find a room or, in the Location box, type a meeting location, such as a conference room.

Select a start time and end time.

TOP TIP: The scheduling assistant is great to see when everyone is free at anytime. (you can find this in the meeting tab.

Step 4: Write an agenda

In the meeting area, type an agenda. Be careful not to change any of the Skype meeting information.

IMPORTANT: Scheduling a meeting with the default options, like we just did, is suitable for small, internal meetings. If you have a meeting with people outside your company, or you’re scheduling a large event, change the meeting options before sending the invites to better fit your meeting requirements.

In the meeting request, on the Skype Meeting section of the Meeting ribbon, click Meeting Options, and then select the appropriate options.

Step 5: You're almost done. Just double-check the information and click Send

Step 1 :Launch the Outlook app

In the Office 365 portal, click the app launcher, then click Calendar to open the Calendar app.

Step 2: Fill in the meeting information

Click the plus sign or New just below the app launcher, and fill in the meeting information as usual.

Step 3: In the middle of the meeting window, above the message area, click Online meeting.

Call-in details, like a Join online meeting link appear in the message area. If your account is configured for dial-in conferencing, you’ll also see a Find a local number link.

Step 5: If you have in-person attendees;

If you’ll have in-person attendees, in Location, type a location for the meeting, such as a conference room, or click Add Room for help finding a conference room.

Tip To look for a time that works for everyone, click Scheduling Assistant, at the top of the meeting window.

Tips To view settings for who has access to the online meeting, who has to wait for you to admit them into the meeting, and who can present during the meeting, click Online meeting settings (just above the message area).

Optional...

Step 6: Type an agenda

In the meeting area, you can type an agenda or other information about the meeting. Be careful not to change any of the online meeting information.

Step 7: Adding pictures or attachments

To add a picture or attachment with the agenda, at the top of the meeting window, click the More actions icon (…), click Insert, and then click Attachments or OneDrive files or Pictures inline.